Families in Quetta and Hub on Thursday demanded the return of six men they said had been forcibly disappeared, while the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) protest camp outside Quetta Press Club continued for its 6,382nd day.
Saira Baloch, the sister of Asif Baloch and Rasheed Baloch, and the mother of Mahmood Ali Langove joined the camp to demand their loved ones’ safe return. People from different walks of life also visited and expressed solidarity with the families.
Saira said more than eight years had passed since her brothers’ enforced disappearances, while others arrested alongside them had subsequently returned.
She demanded their immediate return, adding that if they faced any allegations, they should be brought before a court and afforded their legal rights.
Mahmood’s mother said her son had been missing for two and a half years. She had approached the relevant institutions and the VBMP camp in pursuit of justice, she added, but continued to await his return.
VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch said the government had a “constitutional responsibility” to inform families about their disappeared loved ones, including Asif, Rasheed and Mahmood, and take practical steps to end their prolonged suffering.
Qadir Bakhsh’s Family Demands Return or Court Appearance
Qadir Bakhsh’s family also held a press conference at the camp and demanded his immediate return or appearance before a court.
The family said Pakistani forces detained Bakhsh, a resident of Baghbana in Khuzdar, near BC Camp on RCD Road on September 6, 2026, while he was travelling from Baghbana to Khuzdar.
He was taken to an undisclosed location, they said, and no information about him had been provided since.
Family members said they had repeatedly contacted the relevant police station, the administration and other authorities but had neither been told the reasons for his detention nor received information about his whereabouts or well-being.
His disappearance had left the family facing “severe psychological distress, anguish and uncertainty”, they said, adding that any allegations against him should be presented before a court and he should be given the right to a legal defence.
The family demanded information about his detention and current situation, alongside a transparent and lawful investigation into his disappearance. They also appealed to journalists, political and student organisations, human rights groups and civil society to help secure his safe return.
Brothers Remain Missing Since October 2024
Meanwhile, Junaid Hameed’s family renewed its appeal for his return and that of his brother, Yasir Hameed. Thursday marked two years since Junaid’s disappearance, while Yasir has been missing since October 11, 2024.
The family said about a dozen armed men travelling in three vehicles abducted Junaid at gunpoint near Shah Pump in Bhawani, Hub, at around 10 p.m. on October 8, 2024.
Junaid, son of Abdul Hameed, was 28 at the time and worked at Otsuka Pakistan Limited in Hub, the family said.
Yasir was forcibly disappeared from a relative’s home in Kalat three nights later, according to the family, who said he had previously been subjected to enforced disappearance.
Neither brother had returned and no information about them had been provided, the family said, calling on the government and relevant institutions to ensure their immediate return.
They also appealed to local, national and international human rights organisations to take notice of the brothers’ disappearances and help secure their release.